How do you stay motivated?

bashiera

Hey guys. So, I went MIA from MFP for a few weeks. I started a new semester of school and used my crazy schedule as an EXCUSE to eat crap and not workout. so, here I am, probably weighing more than when I did when I started, wondering how and why you fabulous people stay motivated? I just did 20 minutes of high impact aerobics and I feel pretty damn good. I'm sweaty, hot, and I feel like it's cleansing, kind of like a cleansing fire. Now all I need to do is remember how good I feel when I workout, but that seems tough when I'm eating dinner with classmates at clinicals (ADn students) and they all have taco bell, mashed taters and gravy and I have low-sodium deli meat on rye with water, veggies and fruit

mandy_freeman

And when you see results and they tell you how good you look and ask what you've been doing..... you say....

To stay motivated, i look on here at before/after pictures patiently awaiting my chance to post my results.

I enjoy the small things and don't sweat if the scale doesn't move.

swthrtsmrf

Sometimes a MIA is good for us. Sounds like you are getting back on track though.

To be honest right now my motivation is seriously upset because I do good during the week, but the weekends seem to be killing me. And the move to a different area almost two months ago has hurt me. I am trying to get back on track.
But my motivations are: looking at the pictures of the before and say heck no I am not going back to that. That is never an option again. Which in times like now is a huge help. Also I just look at my kids and husband and remind myself I am doing this for my health to be there for them!

kimber53171

I think you have to allow yourself some "fun" meals. If I thought I could NEVER have pizza again in my life, it would depress me endlessly. Maybe once a week, you can have a night off from healthy eating, etc. but I'd limit it to the meal and not the entire evening.

I don't know if you can count this as motivation or not, but I just make myself work out 4 times a week. I know going in that I have to do that and I just do not allow it not to happen, even if I'm working out at 10 p.m. Usually I do a workout on Saturday and one on Sunday since I"m off on weekends and this only leaves 2 times I have to find a way to work it in during the week. That helps a lot, but even if for some reason it doesn't happen on the weekend, I make myself do it during the week. One thing that helps is that I work out with coworkers here at work (I'm a teacher) and it's good for accountability as well as making it fun.

jwuchef87

I think about WHY I want to be in shape and how I will feel when I lose the weight (lost 8 lbs this month!). For the longest time I was like you and using my single mom/fulltime work schedule as an excuse but at the end of the day, I was only hurting myself. I use my daughter as motivation, to be a good role model when it comes to an active lifestyle and having good eating habits and let's be honest, I can't wait to be able to look in the mirror wearing a two piece and feel sexy again! So when you're sitting there eating the good stuff, just think about your goals and WHY you are doing what you're doing. Believe me, I ate oatmeal(absolutely hate it) and an orange wishing for a chic fil a breakfast but I'm looking forward in my future. Best of luck!

Smokey19

That is really good planning on your part to have the lunch that you do. It is hard to eat healthy when those around you don't. My husband is underweight and keeps all kinds of goodies on the table right in front of me. I keep my mind focused on my goal...ME! I have to do this for my own health. I had a heart attack and open heart surgery at the age of 44. My motivation is to keep my health from getting any worse and start to feel better physically and mentally. I am embarassed to go out in public even after losing almost 100 lbs. I look at my before, during and current photos and that really keeps me motivated, because I will NEVER go back to weighing 304 lbs. I wish you luck in your healthy lifestyle change. You really can do this. Feel free to add me.

pelleld

I look at old pics of me heavier (and cringe!). I go in the closet and check out the labels on my size 2 levis jeans to remind myself how far I've come. I try on something that used to fit and see how it swims on me now. I think about all the energy I have now and how much more I can accomplish at the gym and in life. I think about how good I feel when I know I'm logging and eating right.

EmilyCholette1990

Hi! Sometimes it only takes something very small to motivate me, The wallpaper on my phone is a fitness advertisement with a quote on it : "You can feel sore tomorrow or you can feel sorry tomorrow". For some reason just seeing that picture helps me shove my excuses out of my mind and get myself to the gym because it has so much truth to it in my opinion. Also, I have been going to the gym steady for a month now and it seems that my body craves my workouts and I actually want to go Now I just need to concentrate on the food aspect, which is the toughest part for me.

Hope this helped a little! Take care

myfitnessnmhoy

First, I get on the scale every day so every day is "weigh-in day". This helps keep me motivated on a daily basis. I'm not perfect, but I do my best.

Second, pick a non-weight-loss goal that forces you to up your exercise. For example, I decided to do the "Trek across Maine", a 180-mile, 3-day bicycle ride that raises funds for the American Lung Association. Knowing that this big ride is coming up has really focused my workouts, I'm back to commuting on my bicycle which gives me exercise (28+ miles a day!) and saves money on fuel to boot, and I'm raising money for a cause I believe in.

Chances are, there are tons of charity 5K fundraising runs in your area every month. Choose one a few months out, start fundraising for it, and get training.

Training for something significant means you're toasting off TONS of calories, which opens your food budget up for many more tasty items.

chenrytc2

Sometimes a vacation is needed. Also, think of it as going opposite directions. You know what that kind of eating does to you. Eating a healthier meal will get you to your goal(s) a lot faster. One day, the roles will be reversed where they are trying to drop pounds and get healthy and you will already be there living a healthy lifestyle.

Also, if you have don't like your sandwich, make home made tacos. There are recipes out there that can have tacos ranging from 150-225 calories. Keeping searching for something you enjoy and is healthy. It's out there even if you have to create it.

Staying with topic How Do You Stay Motivated? I come here to read stories like this and look at before and after pictures of people. Seeing ordinary people succeeding is major motivation for me. I think it is amazing how people choose to change their life and the results are 10, 20, or even 100 pounds of weight loss.

Best wishes on your efforts!

milove1029

If you want to eat out with your friends that might be the only meal for the day if it adds up to your calories! That usually keeps me inline! Or the day that you eat out with your friends you have to exercises extra to compensate it works out the main thing is to try to log in everyday to keep track of what you are doing!

HelloSweetie4

When I'm dreading a work-out I remind myself that excuses are what helped me to gain all this weight. I have to say to myself (sometime outloud lol) "You've made excuses for too long. No more! You will feel so much better about yourself once this work-out is over"
The first thing I do when I come home from work is change into my work-out clothes and put on my sneakers. That way, I can't even use that as an excuse! I already have the proper clothes on, so I might as well do my work-out.
I also haven't given up any foods I love. I jsut eat them less often or try it a new way. I still eat my favorite food (mashed potatoes) proably 1-2 times a week. I understand now that if I force myself to give up the foods I love then I'll just relapse and fail.

Back2Basic

Once you get into that healthy life style, taco bell isn't nearly as appetizing. {I was in the Army, and forced to work out and lose a TON of weight} but after that, I found that eating fast food was nasty. I can't wait until I get back to the point where half of a cheeseburger had me full and nauseous from the grease. Maybe you could find some healthy recipes for "junk food" Like tacos or pizza, and pack those when you know others will be eating fast food in front of you?
You can do it!!

Drawberry

I stay motivated because I no longer have shorts that fit.

I stay motivated because I don't get winded walking up two flights of stairs anymore.

I stay motivated because a month ago I couldn't do 25 squats and now I can do over 200, sometimes even 100 at a time if I push myself.

I stay motivated because there's a pile of jeans, tee's, tanks, and bathing-suit pieces that I was wearing last summer that I fully intend to wear again this summer and it's all on me and how hard I work that determines if this intent will be realized.

I stay motivated because I have to. There is no other option.


It sounds like you're craving foods that you consider to be tastier then your sandwiches, and that's okay! It's okay to crave, and look at a chocolate fountain with envious eyes while you mentally picture yourself swimming in it's chocolate-y depths and practically inhaling t's melty goodness. We enjoy eating things that taste good, it's not complicated. So spicing up your new diet (and I use diet in terms of a permanent change in how your eating-not a short term fad) will leave you more satisfied and craving less of what you consider to be better tasting foods.

You can still have a delicious sandwich with low-fat products, it doesn't HAVE to be this bland life-less lump of bread and a single slice of lonely un-flavored meat. Turkey and chicken are two meats that are lower in fat, but high in protein and purchasing a flavorful lunch meat like oven-roasted turkey can pack lots of tasty bird flavor into a few slices of meat. The particular kind of lunch meat I buy, Oscar Mayer slow roasted turkey breast, is naturally lean and 50 calories per serving (serving size on the package is listed as 6 slices) , less then 1gram of sodium (480MG), only 1 gram of fat and 9 grams of protein.

The Selects oven-roasted roast beef come's in pretty decently, at 60 calories per serving (again, this is all based on 6 slices), with slightly less sodium, 2 grams of fat, and 10grams of protein.

I like to combine my lunch meats and will usually put 4 slices of meat on a sandwich, folding them up one next to the other alternating the deli meat I am using so I get delicious combinations in each bite.


You can still put cheese on your sandwiches, I purchase low-fat Colby cheese which comes in at around 80 calories for a fairly large serving that I unfortunately cannot remember. Looking up the nutrition details on MFP for an entry called "Cheese - Low fat, cheddar or colby", it shows a 1OZ slice as being 48 calories, and 170MG of sodium. Adding some thin slices of low-fat cheese will make your sandwiches much tastier and for folks like me who consume very little dairy low-fat cheese is a nice way to get calcium.

It sounds boring, and cliche to say this, but a sandwich is one great way to get a good dose of veggies. Romaine lettuce has more nutritional value of Iceberg and tastes delicious with sandwiches. Tomatoes,hot peppers, spinach, pickles,and red-onion are some of my favorite toppings for sandwiches and they taste delicious.

Adding seasoning to your sandwich might seem strange but I like to put a bit of salt,pepper, and basil onto mine.

Instead of looking at your veggies,fruit, and sandwiches as being bland and tasteless or boring and something you FORCE yourself to eat to be healthy, find ways to make that food delicious and tasty in it's own right. I could eat a different sandwich everyday and be just as satisfied as if I ate taco bell.

bashiera

wow! I wasn't expecting so many good replies. This all made me feel really good about what I'm doing. I'll try seasoning my sandwiches this week since I only have to eat on the fly two days a week. I've got some pictures of me at my heaviest I'll peek at once a week to remind me I don't want to go back to where I was, fat lazy and not confident.

speediejane

i keep pics of me what i look like now in kitchen-i dont want to look like this this ,keeps me going

NeoOwnz

I have pictures of myself 2 years ago the heaviest I had ever been. Avoiding future health issues and being around for my two kids (they aren't my biological kids but I love them like they were my own, I still want to live a long and healthy life for them). Also being able to spend many, many years with my love.

Te amo mi bella :-*

paeli

My eating habits have gone a bit crazy as my life has hit a rough patch lately. So in order to keep myself motivated, for the month of May I made a spreadsheet with a list of simple goals of things I want to accomplish each day. Like, "Avoid binge eating" "Eat clean", etc. And rather than be too strict on myself, just keep track of how I'm doing. Not to try and be perfect but to take it each day a time. I like it also because I can see my trends, so like on the weekend I didn't meet the clean eating goal as I was going out, eating out, etc.

I love looking at Success Stories for motivation. I also love to look at old pictures of myself so I can see how far I've come. (Unfortunately only works if you've made some progress, but for this reason I do hiiiiighly recommend taking progress photos, they are VERY beneficial.)

chelsbells26

What keeps me motivated is the feeling that comes along with success. Whenever I get the opportunity to really FEEL that, I take it all in and I hold on to that feeling. Whenever I feel like giving in and eating whatever or not going to the gym, I think about that feeling and I remember how amazing it is to feel that way. That is what keeps me going. Also, I really am an advocate for motivational quotes. I like to post them to my Twitter and Facebook when I "Check In" at the gym. This way I have something in my head before I get in there to do my thing. My favorite is actually one of Newtons Laws. I repeat it to myself in my head while I run to keep me running. When I start to get a little weary I say it in my head, "A body in motion stays in motion." This is my chant that keeps me running! I know it may sound silly but when your mind heads it and believes it, you can really acheive it! Try it out!

Scorpioangel

I still have Taco Bell LOL BUT I stay motivated by looking at my day 0 pictures and thinking of how bad my health was and how awful I felt about myself!